An Unexpected Friend
by AllonsyMiddleEarth
Summary: Celebrían is lonely and grieving in Valinor, and she meets Melian, who helps her.


Celebrían wandered down the thin path through the trees, not sure where she was going, but not willing to stop.  
She had sent all her handmaidens and caregivers away, telling them she wanted to walk alone today. There were no dangers in the Undying Lands like there may be in Middle-earth, and they had had a hard time finding excuses not to let her go off by herself, so in the end she had.

She stopped finally, not entirely sure how far she had come or where she was now, sinking onto a bench, in a garden that seemed empty.

She let the tears flow freely now, leaning back against the tree and curling up against it.  
She let the homesickness wash over her until she could feel nothing else. All she wanted was Elrond, her mother, and her children. She knew she could not have stayed, and she knew they could not have come, but that did not help.

When she closed her eyes, sometimes all she could see was the pain in Elrond's eyes at their farewell. He had tried to hide it from her, but he had failed, and it tore her apart to know exactly how hard her leaving was on him, too.

Everyone here had been trying hard to make her feel at home, but it was not working. She had her mother's parents and kin, and Elrond's parents, but no one was familiar enough yet to truly help her. She only felt guilty that their hospitality was not what she needed, and that she was unable to find help from them when they tried so hard.

After what seemed like an eternity of her tears, though Celebrían often lost sense of time since her arrival here, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and jumped in surprise and fear.

"Shh…" The woman said, and she felt a wave of something like peace wash over her. Celebrían thought she recognized her from her mother's stories.

"Melian?" She asked quietly, though her voice was hoarse. She supposed this must have been Melian's gardens she had wandered into, which would explain the presence of so much birdsong. The Maia nodded and sat down next to her, reaching out to touch her shoulder again. This time Celebrían didn't shy away. The Maia's face was etched with sadness, but unlike those of her kin who had recently surrounded Celebrían, it was not pity in her eyes, but a sadness of her own.

"I knew your mother far too well for her to ever forgive me if I did not at least try to comfort you when you came to my gardens." Melian told her softly, watching Celebrían's eyes fill with tears again. "Come here, child."  
She pulled Celebrían gently into an embrace, and Celebrían leaned against her willingly, beginning to cry again.  
Melian stroked her hair and rocked her gently, much like Galadriel had used to, which made Celebrían miss her mother all the more.

When Celebríaín had no tears left, Melian held her close and sang to her, and Celebrían again felt an unexpected kind of peace over her, as she had not felt since her ordeal in Middle-earth.

"Do you wish to talk?" Melian asked her.

"I do not know." Celebrían looked down at her hands.

"Listen, then." Melian told her gently, and tilted her head upwards, holding her gaze. "You have been through much, far more than any elf should have to go through, and for that I am sorry. You will never forget, and that is not your answer. But you can learn to move past it; you can become strong again, and one day Elrond will join you here and you will become whole again. You have come this far, and that is more than a start."

"Sometimes I would rather just fade, but I am too afraid to." Celebrían whispered hoarsely.

"It is not fear that keeps you holding on, Celebrían, fair child, that is strength." Melian brushed her silver hair back from her face gently. "And that is a good thing. You do not need to fade; I promise that you can enjoy life again. I will help you in any way you need."

Celebrían tried to smile her thanks, but the smile did not last very long.  
"May I return again tomorrow?" She asked.

"You are welcome to come as often as you like and to stay as long as you like; and I shall be glad of the company." Melian told her kindly.

"Thank you." She managed.

"Go, now. You need rest- that is important too. I shall see you soon." Melian led her back to the path, and sent her off with a last warm embrace.

Celebrían could still hear her singing sadly to herself a long way down her path.

That night Celebrían spoke to no one, preferring to eat her dinner alone in her chambers with books for company instead. Her grandparents left her alone, for once, and her maids were polite enough not to push her to talk when they brought her food and drew her bath.

She went to bed early, and it was the first night in recent memory that she did not have nightmares of Orcs or of terrible things happening to Elrond, her children, or her mother and father. Instead her dreams were filled with Melian's song, and the Maia danced through her dreams all night, bringing her the peace she so needed.


End file.
